Page 35 of Undoing

Cass felt a soft hand on her shoulder and looked up. “Huh? Sorry, El, I was just…”

“Worrying?” Cass nodded, and Ellie gave her an empathetic smile. “So are we. But you need to eat something.”

“I just don’t know if I can keep it down. My stomach is all in knots.”

Ellie glanced at the uneaten sandwich — a turkey club, one of Cass’s favorites — and decided to wrap it up for later. What Cass needed now was something lighter. Jessie got this way whenever she was particularly nervous or upset about something. The thing that always helped was soup. She picked up the plate and stopped when Cass’s hand caught her arm.

“I promised Hunt I would eat. It’s the least I could do for what she did for me.”

“You will. But I think this is a little too much for you right now. Sit tight. I’ll be right back.”

Cass was sitting by herself despite the rest of the group being there. She chose that, and the others gave her the space she needed. She swiveled on the bar stool, unable to keep still.

“Friends help ease the pain, girl. Keep ‘em close.”

Cass blinked at the man. She’d seen him here many times but had never spoken to him. If she remembered correctly, Ellie had called him Big Al. “Sorry?”

“You’re worried about your woman. This group… best around. Let ‘em help.”

Cass didn’t know what Big Al knew, but the advice was sound. She could sit here and sulk alone or surround herself with love. She knew what Rebecca would want for her. “Thanks, um, Big Al.”

Cass received a curt nod from the man, who then turned back to his… whatever the fuck he was drinking. Cass hopped off the stool and took a moment to breathe before making her way over to the group.

“Is there room for me?”

Blaise scooted over in the large round booth and patted the vinyl with a manicured hand. “Always room for you, mate.”

Cass slid into the booth and sighed heavily. “This is freakin’ torture.” She winced inwardly because of who she was with. Cass was essentially ‘preaching to the choir.’ “How did you all not fall apart in the first five minutes with everything you’ve been through.”

Eve reached for Lainey’s hand. “Love. If you’d asked me no more than five years ago, I would have had a different answer, but that is the real answer.”

“And not just the love of a partner,” Lainey added. “I never knew how important it was to have friends who would stand with you, hold you up when you can’t hold yourself up, and who will fight for you when your fight has left you.”

“We all know this firsthand,” Blaise provided. “When I was abducted, Ellie hired Grayson to find me. Despite the circumstances, she knew something was wrong.”

“You already know what Lainey has done for me,” Eve said.

“And Eve has pretty much helped everyone,” Lainey smiled. “Rebecca has been a strong force behind all of us. She’s a cheerleader, a confidant, and a powerhouse in every aspect.”

“And you,” Ellie continued as she came up and placed a bowl of soup in front of Cass. “You’ve done wonders for Rebecca. You’ve made her happy and…”

“And given her jelly legs for the past three or so years,” Blaise teased with a sly grin.

Cass snorted with laughter. “I assure you, Rebecca gives as good… no, better than she gets. The woman is sixteen years older than I am, and she runs circles around me.” Cass took a spoonful of soup, slurping it carefully. The hot liquid warmed her from the inside out. And it was freakin’ delicious. “This soup is awesome, Ellie.”

“Thank you. It’s Jessie’s favorite.” Ellie pushed Cass closer to Blaise so she could sit on the edge of the booth. “I’m glad you decided to join us over here.”

Cass nodded toward Big Al. “He told me it was where I needed to be.”

“Big Al?!” Ellie and Blaise exclaimed at the same time.

“The Old Man is warming up to us,” Blaise laughed. “Who can blame him? We are charming.”

“She’s going to be fine, right?” Cass asked suddenly, her spoon halfway to her mouth.

“Yes, sweets,” Ellie answered. “This is Rebecca we’re talking about. She is a fighter.”

“That’s just it.” Cass pushed the remainder of her soup away and grabbed a cracker just to have something in her hands. “Right before all this happened, she told me she was tired. Rebecca has been fighting her entire life, El. This was supposed to be her time to relax. To enjoy life. Why did this have to happen? She’s been through enough. It should’ve been me. Why couldn’t it have been me?”

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